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Health21 outlets ran this3 min read

Global dementia cases to reach 24.7 million annually by 2050

New study highlights higher incidence among women and in lower-income countries.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
The study's authors say women's brain health needs to be prioritised and risk factors like hormonal changes need investigating. (ABC: 7.30 Tasmania)

What this story says

  • An estimated 11.4 million people developed dementia globally in 2023.
  • By 2050, annual dementia diagnoses are projected to reach 24.7 million.
  • Dementia incidence is higher among women than men.
  • Incidence rates are substantially higher in low- and middle-income countries compared to high-income nations.

Who covered it

Left 17%(2)Centre 25%(3)Right 58%(7)

Percentages are shares of the 12 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 9 of the 21 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

42/100

Craft

57/100

Hype

41/100

21 sources · methodology

An international study analysing data from 38,418 people across 22 population-based studies in 18 countries has projected a significant increase in annual dementia diagnoses. In 2023, an estimated 11.4 million people developed dementia worldwide. This figure is expected to more than double by 2050, reaching approximately 24.7 million new cases each year. The research, published in JAMA Neurology, also identified disparities in dementia incidence, noting higher rates among women and in low- and middle-income countries.

Disagreement on specific figures

While most reports agree on the projection of 24.7 million new cases annually by 2050, one digest stated the number would increase by more than half by 2050, without providing a specific figure. Another digest stated the number would reach almost 25 million new cases each year by 2050.

What the coverage left out

None of the right-rated digests mention the specific factors contributing to higher dementia rates among women, such as hormonal changes, unequal education, or job opportunities, which were detailed in the left-rated ABC Australia report. The right-rated digests also do not mention the study's analysis of data from 38,418 people across 22 population-based studies spanning 18 countries and territories.

Tags:#Dementia#GlobalHealth#PublicHealth#MedicalResearch#WomensHealth

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 5 times, most recently on 13 Oct 2026, 23:15, and will add the sides that appear.

How other outlets pictured it

Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain
Medical XpressCentre

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

2 rated outlets

  • The left-rated reports highlighted the projected increase in dementia cases and the disproportionate impact on women. ABC Australia's full report noted that hormone changes could be a factor in higher dementia rates among women, alongside unequal education and job opportunities. It also quoted lead author Dr Ashleigh Vella stating that understanding these differences is critical for developing effective strategies. Xinhua's digest also focused on the global projection of 24.7 million new cases by 2050.

Centre

3 rated outlets

  • Centre-rated reports focused on the overall increase in dementia cases and the higher incidence among women and in low- and middle-income countries. Medical Xpress's full report detailed the study's methodology, including the number of participants and countries involved, and quoted Dr Ashleigh Vella on the importance of understanding incidence differences. BBC News's digest specifically mentioned that women and people from lower- and middle-income countries are most likely to be affected. Cedarnews.net's digest used the term 'scary' to describe the modelling of surging cases by 2050.

Right

7 rated outlets

  • Right-rated reports focused on the projected doubling of dementia cases by 2050 and the higher incidence among women. The Epoch Times and Anadolu Ajansı digests both reported the projection of more than double the cases by 2050, with Anadolu Ajansı specifically mentioning a higher incidence among women. Globo's digest also highlighted the projected rise to 24.7 million per year by 2050. The New York Post's digest described the situation as an 'accelerating epidemic crisis' and mentioned two groups at risk. Nine.com.au's digest stated that cases of Australia's biggest killer are about to surge, with higher rates among women and in low-income countries. The Sun's digest also reported the projection of almost 25 million new cases each year by 2050 and offered ways to slash risk.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Global dementia cases to reach 24.7 million annually by 2050?
Of the 12 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 17% are rated left, 25% are rated centre, 58% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 21. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Global dementia cases to reach 24.7 million annually by 2050 left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 12 rated outlets on this story, 17% are rated left, 25% are rated centre, 58% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Global dementia cases to reach 24.7 million annually by 2050 biased?
Global dementia cases to reach 24.7 million annually by 2050 is one event reported by 21 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered Global dementia cases to reach 24.7 million annually by 2050?
21 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
How many new dementia cases were there in 2023?
An estimated 11.4 million people developed dementia globally in 2023. This figure represents the number of new diagnoses made within that year.
What is the projected number of new dementia cases by 2050?
By 2050, it is projected that 24.7 million new cases of dementia will be diagnosed each year. This represents more than double the number of cases reported in 2023.
Are dementia rates higher for women?
Yes, the study found that dementia incidence is higher among women than men. The reasons for this difference are still being investigated but may include hormonal changes and socio-economic factors.
Where are dementia rates highest?
Dementia incidence is substantially higher in low- and middle-income countries compared to high-income countries. This disparity is a significant concern given the projected growth in cases in these regions.

Read it at the source

21 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

2

Centre

3

Right

7

Not rated

9
Show 1 more

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

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Dementia cases to reach 24.7m by 2050 | MediaBias News